You may
well compare prices when purchasing goods in the shops, getting to know where
the best offers are and stocking up on them when you can.
However,
many consumers aren’t as good at shopping around when it comes to buying
services such as insurance or roadside assistance cover. Because of this many
of us may be paying far more than we need to obtain these services, falling
into the trap of automatically renewing cover, however much it may have risen
in price, rather than comparing a quote with what else may be available.
Our AA
cover recently came up for renewal, but my husband positively balked at the
price, which had risen to £129, despite being loyal customers of some 10 years
standing. He decided that the time had come to look at other roadside
assistance providers.
Hubby duly
got to work online, not using price comparison websites you understand, that
may in turn have their own agenda, but visiting the sites of individual
companies. He
discovered that if he bought AA cover online as a new customer it would cost
£79; he could get cover from Green Flag for £64 per year and cover from the RAC
as a Tesco Clubcard holder for £55 per year.
Armed with
this useful information, he promptly rang the AA to reveal his findings. A very
charming adviser listened carefully, apparently did a few calculations
(probably referring to a crib sheet telling him what to do in this situation,
i.e. match price, adding a few pence so it didn’t seem too obvious) and
promptly declared that full relay cover could, on reflection, be provided for
the reasonable sum of £55.80!
Delighted
with the new price, hubby renewed the AA cover, but the point is, if he’d just
paid the requested amount on receipt of the quote, he would have been £73.20
poorer, whilst the AA would have offered identical cover for more gain.
So a word
from the wise, never automatically renew any insurance, roadside assistance or
similar policy or service, without first checking directly with other companies
offering the same thing, as to what price they will charge.
Be sure to
shop around!
Follow
me on Twitter @shoppersjoy
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